Iran warns against using Hormuz routes it hasn’t approved, here we go again.

Iran’s joint military command warned that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a “forceful response,” again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies.

By Agencies and ToI Staff

July 2, 8:15 EST

What sparked the threat from Iran?

The US military’s Central Command having a meeting with officials from Middle East nations in Bahrain that said that “leaders underscored their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.”

That appeared to have been the phrase that angered Iran.

Iran: Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels,” the Iranian statement said.

Iran: Any attempt by the United States to interfere in security matters or any disruptive action in the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a threat to Iran’s national sovereignty and will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction.

It also said the continued presence of US fighter jets over the strait “causes insecurity in this waterway and threatens regional security.”

Iran again ratchets up its rhetoric. And the real reason is in the last bout Iran got the US to approve additional monies to the tune to several billions of dollars.